Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

S. S. LEHMAN.

OAR. COUPLING.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

avwem coz Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

l I r l l ll- S. S. LEHMAN.

GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

35 elf-reman UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON S. LEHMAN, OF MARTICVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIAN K. I-IERR, OF \VES'I. LAMPETER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,584, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed February 28, 1888- Serial No. 265,553. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- the slot (Fill the upper plate, a. In'nnediately Be it known that I, SIMON S. LEHMAN, acitiback of the lip there a bearing-block, F, zen of the United States, residing in Marticsecured in the slot of the bottom plate, a, by ville,.in the county of Lancaster and State of the removable pin f. This bearing-block has 55 5 Pennsylvania, have invented certain Ima shoulder, f, formed at its rear end, which provements. in Oar-Couplers, of which the folengages the end of the slot in which it rests, lowing is a specification. its front face affording a bearing for the My invention relates to improvements in curved face of the sliding block E. Vhen in that class of car-couplings in which, as two the position just described, the front end of 60 cars come together, the entrance of the coupthe block extends forward beneath the pinling-link of one car into the draw-head of the hole in the top plate of the draw-head and other causes the dropping of the coupling-pin supports the said pin when it is inserted in and the coupling of the cars. the hole preparatory to being brought into These improvements consist, first, in the peengagement with the link of an adjoining car. 6 5 culia-r device by which the coupling-pin is As a coupling-link enters the draw-head, it held in position to drop and engage the link; forces the block E backward up the incline second, in the manner in which said pin is of block F, permitting the coupling-pin to dropped, and, third, in the way in which the drop and engage therewith. Upon the withouter extremity of the link is elevated or dedrawal of the link and pin the sliding block 70 2o pressed and so held in order to couple with a resumes its original position.

car of different elevation. In case the draw-head is located so near the My invention is illustrated in the accompabottom of the car as to prevent the upper lip,

nying drawings, in which e, from being protruded through the top Figure 1 is a side elevation of my coupler, plate when the sliding block is forced back, 7 5

the pins being elevated preparatory to being that lip and the top of the block are reduced brought into engagement with the link. Fig. in height and are embraced between two 2 is a similar view showing the position of the downwardly-projecting guides, g, on the unparts after the pins have been dropped, the der side of the top plate, as shown by dotted chains being removed, and also illustrating lines on the right side of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. 8o

one way of elevating and depressing the outer On the left side of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and -l is ends of the links. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view shown a modified form of sliding block, the

of the parts in position, as shown in Fig. 2. object of which is the same as of that just de- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section scribed. This block l'I slides horizontally and through Fig. 2; and Figs. 5, (Land 7 are views has a shoulder, h, projecting downward into 85 3 5 of variously-shaped links intended to be spethe longitudinal slot in the bottom plate and cially used, as hereinafter explained. its upper edge slidingin a groove in the under Similar letters indicate like parts throughside of the top plate of the draw-head. It is out the several views. projected forward by a spring pivoted at h in In the drawings, A represents the drawthe top plate, one arm, I, extending downward 9o 40 ead; C, the pins; D, the chains connecting and resting against the rear end of the slot in them with the draw-head, and B the links. the bottom plate, and the other, .I extending In the draw-head behind the pin (shown on forward and downward and bearing against the right side of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4) there is a the back of the block. This block is retained longit-udinally-sliding block, E, located. This in place by a slide, K, passing under the bot- 5 5 block has a curved or sloping lip, e, which, tom of the draw-head and having edges It, bent while the pin is removed out of the draw-head, so as to form grooves which embrace the edges projects downward through a slot in the botof the bottom plate. In both cases the inner tom plate, a, of said draw-head, the body of end of each link is engaged by the pin L in the block resting on the same plate in front the back of the draw-head to which it belongs, 100 i of the slot, as shown at c, Fig. 1. Another as shown, the pin being upheld by the removlip, e projects upward and is received by able transverse pin Z. By thus connecting block E.

The links are put in place in the draw-. heads or removed therefrom by withdrawing the pins Z and removing the pins L, and in the case illustrated on the right of the figures by taking out the pin f of the block F, which permits the blocks F and E also to be taken out, while in the case illustrated on the ,left of the figures the backward movement of the slide K permits the removal of the block 11.

In order that the coupling-pins C may fall vertically when. dropping to place and engage the openings intended to receive them in the bottom plates of the draw-head, thereis a frame or arch, M, attached to each draw-head above the pin-openings therein, and having a hole in it to correspond with the said openings in the draw-head plates. The head of the pin is secured to the frame by a chain, D, and the base of said frame has an arm, on, projecting beyond the side of the draw-head, having an opening, m, through it in which to carry the pin when not in use.

Back of the pin L there is a post, N, secured by removable pins 01 it, having a series .of recesses, p, in its front face, adapted to receive the end of the link, while beneath the position occupied by the link when thrust back into the draw-head and somewhat in front of the middle of the pin when in that position there are balance-lugs P fixed on each side of the bottom plate. \Vhen. the link is moved back by the train-man, it is balanced on these lugs and the inner end thrust into either one of the series of recesses p, as it may be desirable to throw the outer end of the link into position to en- .gage the draw-head of the car it is to couple with.

On the left side of Fig. 2 is shown. another way of varying the elevation of the outer end of the link and holding it in position. This device consists of arocker, Q, pivoted between standards g. To one end there is pivoted a spring-handle, R 7, which passes upward through a slot, 077?, in the arm m of the frame M. It is composed of two arms, one, B, being rigid and .having teeth 0* on one edge, which are adapted to mesh with a rack in the end of the slot m and the other, 0", formed of spring metal, the upper end of which bears against the opposite end of the slot m A rocker is placed on but one side of the draw-head, and the link rests upon it, and a balance-lug similar to that already described on the opposite side of said drawhead. The elevation of the ends of the linkis varied by pushing back the arm R, so as to -free itfrom therack, and then raising or depressing the same to throw the link into the desired position, and then again putting it into engagement with the rack.

The pins are raised to uncouple the cars by levers S, the center portions of which project forward over the draw-head and are provided with openings, through which the pins pass. The head of the pin rests upon the metal surrounding the openings. The portions 5 of the levers extend from the center ofthe car to the outer edge thereof, where they are supplied with handles 3, by which the center portions are raised or lowered. The handles as used for passei'iger-cars rise vertically when the parts S are resting on the drawhead, while those used with freight cars extend horizontally along the side of the same.

Fig. .5 illustrates several kinds of links used with my invention when cars of greatly varying height are to be coupled together.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a top and side view, respectively, of another form of link, in which the inner end of each arm T T is furnished with an eye, This link is used when the box is closed at the bottom and the pin L cannot be removed. With this link a horizontal pin is used, it being passed through the eyes tback of the vertical pin L, against which it bears.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carcoupl.ing, the combii'iation, with the draw-head, of the sliding block E, means for pushing and holding the same forward under the pin-hole through which the pin C passes, the coupling-pin U, and the pin L, located back of the said block E to hold the coupling-link in the draw-head, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the draw-head, of the sliding block E, a device for pushing and holding the same forward under thehole through which the coupling-pin passes, the coupling-pin, and the coupling-link secured in the draw-head behind the said sliding block, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the coupling-link, of a rocker, Q, pivoted in the draw-head to regulate the position of said coupling-link, a handle pivoted to the rocker and passing upward through a slot in the arm on, the handle being provided with teeth adapted to mesh with a rack in said slot, and a spring for keeping the handle in engagement with the rack, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

. S. S. LEHMAN. lVitnesses: GEO. A. LANE,

' WM. R. GERHART. 

